Many Americans are having difficulties falling asleep at night. Instead of sleeping and dreaming they roll around in their beds trying to fall asleep. The result usually is people not rested enough in the morning and tired all day. This results in stress and less performance on the job or at home. We have developed a list of 6 powerful tips that have helped us to achieve better sleep.

1) Room temperature: Keeping the temperature in your bedroom at 70 degrees Fahrenheit or below is recommended. Too often an overheated bedroom is causing sleep problems. Scientific studies show that the body can better relax with temperatures at 70 degrees or slightly below.

2) Reduce caffeine. A recent study showed that caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and fast enough at night. The effects of caffeine last much longer than most people expect. The result is difficulty falling asleep. Studies have shown better sleeping patterns if no more caffeine is consumed after 6.00 PM.

3) Avoid alcohol. Alcohol will keeps the body from reaching the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing and resting. The result of drinking can be a very light sleep or difficulty falling asleep in general.

4) Beds are for sleeping. If you are used to watch TV in bed or even work while being in bed, you may find it much harder to relax and to fall asleep. Remove the TV and do not work in bed. Sleep requires your brain to slowly shutdown and any distraction will cause sleeping problems.

5) Go to bed at around the same time every day. Don’t change your bedtime back and forth. Having a certain schedule developed it will be easier to fall asleep pretty much at the same time every day. A recurring schedule will help your body to get into a sleep pattern and make it easier to fall asleep.

6) Remove the alarm clock from your view. Starring at the time will only create the feeling that you have to sleep, but you are not. These worries will make things even worse. Losing the feeling for time by not seeing the actual and how long you have been awake has shown to improve healthy sleep.

If the patient is determined to be a good candidate for Lasik surgery, the physician will begin to explain the various risks, benefits and possible surgical alternatives. In addition, they will discuss the patient’s responsibilities before, during and after the procedure. During this discussion, patients should take the opportunity to ask any questions that they have regarding Lasik surgery. This is very important for every patient and must be done before signing the consent form.

The actual Lasik surgery, in most standard cases, will not take longer than 30 minutes. During the surgery, the patient will be reclined in a position for the laser to be placed above their eye. When in the correct position, the doctor will start the laser. Once the process is complete, a covering will be placed on the eye to protect it from exposure to light and everyday elements. Because stitches are not used after the surgery, this covering will need to remain in place until the doctor recommends otherwise.

Following the surgery, patients may notice a discomfort in their eye. If the pain becomes unbearable, physicians may prescribe a mild pain reliever. Most doctors recommend a followup visit within 24-48 hours following the surgery and at regular intervals or until such time as they deem the eye to be healed properly.